Likewise, buying a house in a good business environment makes a lot more sense than doing so where businesses will be struggling. So if you are thinking of moving to a state that is favorable for business this list by CNBC is a very smart tool to use.

Virginia came in as the top state. With it’s pro-business state house and proximity to Washington DC, where growth in government spending has created it’s own jobs engine, Virginia is for business lovers. Texas is in second place, with southern states Georgia, North Carolina, and Colorado rounding out the top 5. The only northeast member of the list Massachusetts comes in 6^th owing mainly to it’s educated workforce.

The remaining states on our top 10 list are heartland states; Minnesota, Utah, Iowa, and Nebraska. The worst state in the country is Rhode Island with Alaska not far behind.

So if you are starting a business, looking for a job, or interested in investing in real estate, check out this list of the …
Top 10 States for Business in America for 2011

1. Virginia
2. Texas
   
3. North Carolina
   
4. Georgia
   
5. Colorado
   
6. Massachusetts 
   
7. Minnesota
   
8. Utah
   
9. Iowa
   
10. Nebraska

For More Information keep checking RuhlHomes.com

Originally Published by: The Real Estate Bloggers

Although prices vary based on location and size of parcel, high-quality crop land in the Quad-Cities region and western Illinois is selling for about $8,000 to $9,000 an acre, according toDennis Stolk, of Ruhl & Ruhl’s Davenport Farm & Land division.

Mr. Stolk said prices can be found on either side of that spectrum, but spring and summer sales have been in excess of $8,000 and acre, with “several now $9,000 and over.”

That’s up from about $5,000 to $6,000 an acre a couple years ago, he said.

Iowa farmland increased from about $5,100 an acre to about $5,500 from 2006 to 2010, Shane Johnson, Quad City Area Realtor Association CEO, said.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture Land Values Summary released Aug. 4, says the median price of Illinois farmland was $5,700 an acre in 2011, up $1,680 from 2007. The median price for Iowa farmland was $5,600 an acre in 2011, up $2,230 from 2007.

There’s a “much greater demand than there is supply” of available farmland, said Tom Marcus, a Ruhl & Ruhl Realtor in the Maquoketa area who has been selling farmland for more than 35 years.

“We have very few sellers and people waiting in line to buy.”

“Wehave definitely seen a rise in price per acre of farm ground, particularly in our region,” said Craig Wainwright, owner of Wainwright Realty in Port Byron.

Farmers also are “blessed” right now with high commodity prices, so are “willing to pay more for the ground,” hesaid.

“The 2011 increase continues a string of large increases that began in 2004,” University of Illinois agriculture economist and farm management specialist Gary Schnitkey said in a press release.

The last seven-year period in which Illinois land prices increased an equivalent amount was from 1975 to 1981 when farmland jumped from$846 an acre to $2,188 an acre, he said.

Mr. Stolk said the strong market has been fueled by “good, strong farm profits, high commodity prices and low interest rates.”

“To have corn and bean prices pushing $7 and $14 (per bushel) respectively, that’s pretty positive for land values,” saidKevin Urick, president of the Henry County farm bureau and a RE/MAX real estate agent.

Mr. Urick said a speaker at a commodity conference he attended this summer said that if corn prices rise, so will the cost and value of farmland.”I think people are looking at land like gold right now.”

However, you don’t have to remind “farmers too hard that values can drop,” he said, adding that for now, “I would say they’re pretty steady.”

As the price of land rises, so does the cost for farmers who rent fields. According to the University of Illinois release, the average cash rent in Illinois was $183 an acre this year. A USDA Agricultural Land Values and Cash Rents Final Estimates report said it was $132 an acre in 2006.

According to reports on the Iowa State University Extension’s website at www.extension.iastate.edu, the average cash rent in Iowa was $214 an acre this year, up from $137 an acre in 2006.

It’s currently cheaper for farmers to own land than to rent it, Mr. Marcus, the Maquoketa area Realtor said.

For the most part, land buyers right now are other farmers. Mr. Urick said he heard at the commodities conference that roughly 70 percent of farmland buyers are farmers, and the rest are investors contemplating commercial developments.

Mr. Johnson said it’s good to see that the local real estate industry — commercial and residential –”continues to be in very good shape when compared to other economies around the nation.”

The Quad-Cities area continues “to be a good place to invest in,” he said.

“We have good stability even in the midst of a very difficult economy.”

Article Originally Published by Argus-Dispatch

The second way a bank can protect their investment in the mortgage is to make sure that the collateral backing that mortgage is secure. That is where the appraisal comes in. The bank wants to make sure that, should the buyer not be able to make their payments, the house they will be forced to take back will sell for an amount at least equal to the balance left on the mortgage. For that reason, the banks seem to be getting more conservative with appraisals also.

This past week, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) released their Existing Homes Sales Report. In that report, they said:

“11 percent of Realtors® report a contract was cancelled in April from an appraisal coming in below the price negotiated between a buyer and seller, 10 percent had a contract delayed, and 14 percent said a contract was renegotiated to a lower sales price as a result of a low appraisal.”

One out of four real estate transactions was either cancelled (11%) or renegotiated to a lower sales price (14%) because of a low appraisal!!

Bottom Line

Every house now has to be sold twice: first, to a potential purchaser and then to the bank appraiser. And, it seems that the second sale may be the more difficult of the two. Sit with a local real estate professional and make sure you put together a plan for both sales.

Keep checking Ruhlhomes.com for the most up to date information on the housing market.

Provided By: KCMBlog

And the monthly Pending Sales Report, which measures the number of houses going into contract each month, has showed increases in six of the last nine months prompting Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist to say:

“Since reaching a cyclical bottom last June, pending home sales have posted an overall gain of 24 percent and demonstrate the market is recovering on its own. The index means modest near-term gains in existing-home sales are likely.”

We realize that 40% of the sales are distressed properties and that 22% of buyers are investors. Yet, that still doesn’t negate the fact that homes are in fact selling… and 60% of them are NOT foreclosures or short sales.

And Yun believes this uptick will continue:

“Based on the current uptrend with very favorable affordability conditions, rising apartment rents and ongoing job creation, existing-home sales should rise around 5 to 10 percent this year.”

Bottom Line

Homes are selling. You probably will need to offer a compelling price if you put your house on the market. But if you do, it will sell.

Keep checking RuhlHomes.com for the most  up-to-date information on the housing market.

Provided by: KCM Blog

In these 11 cities, the median for days on the market was 160 in March, which is a positive increase of 40 percent from March of 2010.

Here is a list of the cities with the fewest median days on the market from March:

Oakland, Calif.
Median days on the market: 50
Median list price: $319,000

San Francisco
Median days on the market: 63
Median list price: $639,000

Denver
Median days on the market: 66
Median list price: $259,900

Iowa City, Iowa
Median days on the market: 66
Median list price: $187,500

Los Angeles-Long Beach, Calif.
Median days on the market: 70
Median list price: $345,000

Stockton-Lodi, Calif.
Median days on the market: 70
Median list price: $175,000

Bakersfield, Calif.
Median days on the market: 70
Median list price: $141,500

San Jose, Calif.
Median days on the market: 71
Median list price: $470,000

Anchorage, Alaska
Median days on the market: 71
Median list price: $279,975

Fresno, Calif.
Median days on the market: 71
Median list price: $170,000

Tulsa, Okla.
Median days on the market: 71
Median list price: $147,900

Please contact Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS today if you are interested in buying or selling a home, or visit RuhlHomes.com.

Some information and statistics provided by Realtor.com

“We are excited to be a part of this exciting event,” said Caroline Ruhl, President of Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS. “We have always been supporters of the Chamber and this event really showcases our support.”

Schmooza Palooza expects to bring 300 attendees for schmoozing, tasting of hors d’oeuvres from the Quad Cities’ most popular restaurants, wine and beer tasting, music and a cash raffle. Please join us!

Schmooza Palooza
Thursday, May 19, 2011
5pm – 9pm
Modern Woodmen Park
209 S. Gaines, Davenport, IA

A family-owned company since 1862, Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS annually sells nearly 3,800 homes in eastern Iowa, western Illinois and southwestern Wisconsin. Caroline Ruhl is the President and owner of Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS, and is the fourth generation of the Ruhl family to lead the residential brokerage and home services company.  Headquartered in Davenport, Iowa, the company has 265 sales associates and 50 employees based in sales offices located in Bellevue, Bettendorf, Cedar Rapids, Clinton, Coralville, Davenport, DeWitt, Dubuque, Maquoketa, and Muscatine, in Iowa, and in Moline, Illinois.  In addition to residential sales, Ruhl&Ruhl offers services in relocation, new home sales, farm and land sales, senior services, real estate investment, property management and mortgage services through 1862 Mortgage and insurance services through Nelson Brothers Insurance.  For more information on Ruhl&Ruhl, visit their website at www.RuhlHomes.com.

The report ranks the top 300 real estate companies in the country according to the number of transactions and sales volume. Ruhl&Ruhl ranked 92^nd in the country for the number of transactions, which was 3,889 in 2010, and 160^th in the country for our sales volume, which was $562,235,310.

Other Iowa Companies Ranked as follows:

“While business was down in most of our markets and at most competing real estate companies, business was up at Ruhl&Ruhl,” said Caroline Ruhl, President of Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS, adding that the company had 3.2% more transactions in 2010 than in 2009 and sales volume grew 2.6% from 2009 to 2010.

On average, Ruhl&Ruhl agents sold 15.5 properties per agent, as either listing or selling agents, which places Ruhl&Ruhl agents among the most productive in the country. The National Association of Realtors reports an average of 7 sales per agent nationally.

 “We are excited and proud to earn this ranking,” Ruhl said. “I have been blessed to be surrounded by the best people in our business. At the end of the day, it always comes down to having the right people.”

A family-owned company since 1862, Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS annually sells nearly 3,800 homes in eastern Iowa, western Illinois and southwestern Wisconsin. Caroline Ruhl is the President and owner of Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS, and is the fourth generation of the Ruhl family to lead the residential brokerage and home services company.  Headquartered in Davenport, Iowa, the company has 265 sales associates and 50 employees based in sales offices located in Bellevue, Bettendorf, Cedar Rapids, Clinton, Coralville, Davenport, DeWitt, Dubuque, Maquoketa, and Muscatine, in Iowa, and in Moline, Illinois.  In addition to residential sales, Ruhl&Ruhl offers services in relocation, new home sales, farm and land sales, senior services, real estate investment and mortgage services through 1862 Mortgage and insurance services through Nelson Brothers Insurance.  For more information on Ruhl&Ruhl, visit their website at www.RuhlHomes.com.

“Demand for cropland in our area is the strongest I’ve ever seen,” said Tom Marcus, Ruhl&Ruhl Realtor in the Maquoketa area, who has been selling farmland since 1975. “In greatest demand is high quality cropland Corn Suitability Rating of 80 or higher, followed by average Corn Suitability Rating of 60+, which includes a lot of land in our area.” 

The Land Trends and Value Survey, presented by the Iowa Farm and Land Chapter #2 REALTORS Land Institute, reported a statewide average increase of cropland values of 25.4% for the year from March 1, 2010 to March 1, 2011.

The survey attributed the increase to several contributing factors, including strong commodity prices, favorable long-term interest rates, limited amount of land offered for sale, lack of alternative investments, higher livestock prices and fear of inflation. 

“The combination of strong demand and short supply of land has only been further fueled by high commodity prices in both grains and livestock,” said Eric Schlutz, Ruhl&Ruhl Realtor in the Muscatine area and Manager of the Muscatine Office.

Not many farms are currently being offered for sale in our area due to the good grain sales and good cash rents, Marcus said, adding that this is a large factor in land values increasing recently.

For the survey, participants are asked to estimate the average value of farmland as of March 1, 2011. These estimates are for bare, unimproved land with a sale price on a cash basis. Pasture and timberland values were also requested as supplemental information.

All nine Iowa crop reporting districts showed an increase. The districts varied from a 15.9% increase in Central Iowa to a 26% increase in West Central Iowa from just September 201 to March 2011. The East Central district, where the majority of Ruhl&Ruhl offices are located increased 19.9% in the past six months and the Northeast district, where the company’s Dubuque office is located, increased 19.3%.

“With the high grain prices and great long-term prospect for grain sales domestically and foreign sales, the farmers in eastern Iowa have a very positive outlook for the future,” Marcus added.

A family-owned company since 1862, Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS annually sells nearly 3,800 homes in eastern Iowa, western Illinois and southwestern Wisconsin. Caroline Ruhl is the President and owner of Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS, and is the fourth generation of the Ruhl family to lead the residential brokerage and home services company.  Headquartered in Davenport, Iowa, the company has 250 sales associates and 50 employees based in sales offices located in Bettendorf, Cedar Rapids, Clinton, Coralville, Davenport, DeWitt, Dubuque, Maquoketa, and Muscatine, in Iowa, and in Moline, Illinois.  In addition to residential sales, Ruhl&Ruhl offers services in relocation, new home sales, farm and land sales, senior services, real estate investment, property management and mortgage services through 1862 Mortgage.  For more information on Ruhl&Ruhl, visit their website at www.RuhlHomes.com .

For the qualified members of the military who are ordered on a period of official extended duty, the Homebuyer Tax Credit was extended for one year. For these homebuyers, the tax credit applies to sales with a binding sales contract in place on or before April 30, 2011 and closed by June 30, 2011. First-time homebuyers may be eligible for a tax credit of up to $8,000 on the purchase of a home and move up or repeat homebuyers may be eligible for a tax credit of up to $6,500.

A person that is forced to return to the U.S. for medical reasons before completing an assignment of at least 90 days of qualified official extended duty outside of the United States may also qualify for the one-year extension.

“Congress acknowledged the unique situations affecting members of the military, the Foreign Service and the intelligence community and passed this extension in 2009,” said Veronica Pianca, Vice President of Relocation and Business Development for Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS.

$8,000 First-time Homebuyer Tax Credit at a Glance

• The $8,000 tax credit is for first-time homebuyers only. For the tax credit program, the IRS defines a first-time homebuyer as someone who has not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase.
• The tax credit does not have to be repaid unless the home is sold or ceases to be used as the buyer’s principal residence within three years after the initial purchase.
• The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home’s purchase price up to a maximum of $8,000.
• The tax credit applies only to homes priced at $800,000 or less.
• For homes purchased after November 6, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2011, single taxpayers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples with incomes up to $225,000 qualify for the full tax credit.

The $6,500 Move-Up / Repeat Homebuyer Tax Credit at a Glance

• To be eligible to claim the tax credit, buyers must have owned and lived in their previous home for five consecutive years out of the last eight years. 
• The tax credit does not have to be repaid unless the home is sold or ceases to be used as the buyer’s principal residence within three years after the initial purchase.
• The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home’s purchase price up to a maximum of $6,500.
• The tax credit applies only to homes priced at $800,000 or less.
• Single taxpayers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples with incomes up to $225,000 qualify for the full tax credit. 

*Everyone’s situation is different.  Please consult your tax professional or attorney to determine your eligibility. For more information visit RuhlHomes.com/tax-credit or www.irs.gov. 

A family-owned company since 1862, Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS annually sells nearly 3,800 homes in eastern Iowa, western Illinois and southwestern Wisconsin.  Caroline Ruhl is the President and owner of Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS, and is the fourth generation of the Ruhl family to lead the residential brokerage and home services company.  Headquartered in Davenport, Iowa, the company has 250 sales associates and 50 employees based in sales offices located in Bellevue, Bettendorf, Cedar Rapids, Clinton, Coralville, Davenport, DeWitt, Dubuque, Maquoketa, and Muscatine, in Iowa, and in Moline, Illinois.  In addition to residential sales, Ruhl&Ruhl offers services in relocation, new home sales, farm sales, senior services, real estate investment, property management and mortgage services through 1862 Mortgage.  For more information on Ruhl&Ruhl, visit their website at www.RuhlHomes.com.

1.) Interest Rates Are On the Rise

Interest rates have spiked up rather dramatically over the last ninety days and are now over 5%. Initially, an increase in rates has a positive effect on the market as it forces buyers off the fence. However, it also eats into a buyer’s purchasing power. As rates increase, the mortgage amount a buyer qualifies for decreases. This will eventually have a negative impact on prices.

2.) Your Dream Home Will Never Be Cheaper

If your family goal is to sell your current house and take advantage of the fabulous selection of properties currently available to buy the home of your dreams, DO IT NOW! Prices will continue to soften in most markets. However, if you are buying, COST should be more important than PRICE. Cost can be dramatically impacted by rising mortgage interest rates. Do the math and decide if now is the time.

3.) Buyers Are Out Early

There is mounting evidence that buyers are coming out earlier this year. A belief that now is a good time to buy coupled with the increase in interest rates has started the buying season early.

The National Association of Realtors just reported that the number of house sales increased 12.9% over last month.

4.) Inventory Increases Every Spring

Every year there is an increase of inventory which comes to market as we approach the spring. Here is the number of listings available for sale in 2010.

• February – 3,531,000
• March – 3,626,000
• April – 4,029,000

We believe there will be an increase in these numbers in 2011 as there is a pent-up selling demand created by the weak market of the last few years. You won’t have to worry about this increasing competition if you sell now.

5.) We Are in the Eye of the Foreclosure Storm

While banks are trying to rectify their foreclosure procedures, there is a large supply of discounted properties which has been delayed coming to market. This inventory will be released sometime in the next few months. Foreclosures sell on average at a 41% discount. When released they will be competing with your house for the buyers in the marketplace. If you are looking to sell in 2011, you want to sell before this inventory becomes your competition.

CNN Money quoted the leadership Of RealtyTrac on this issue:

“We’ve now seen three straight months with fewer than 300,000 properties receiving foreclosure filings, following 20 straight months where the total exceeded 300,000,” said James Saccacio, CEO of RealtyTrac.

“Unfortunately,” he added, “This is less a sign of a robust housing recovery and more a sign that lenders have become bogged down in reviewing procedures, resubmitting paperwork and formulating legal arguments related to accusations of improper foreclosure processing.”

“We expect a spike in the first quarter,” said Rick Sharga, a RealtyTrac spokesman.

Bottom Line

These are five strong reasons to sell now instead of waiting until later in the year. Sit down with a local real estate professional today and decide the best options for you and your family.

Ruhl&Ruhl REALTORS would be happy to help you with your decision.  If you do decide now is the time to buy we can help! Contact us in any one of our 10 real estate offices ranging from markets in the Quad Cities to Iowa City.